Heinous or Forgivable???

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I was doing a 1:1 observation with an elderly confused woman who tends to wander. So I was in the room with her and the 19 year old unit clerk came in with a piece of paper that said " My name is !#@*. If found please return me to Unit @*!$. she then stuck the paper on the lady's back with a piece of tape. I waited until she left and I removed it because I think that is totally degrading and if someone did that to my mom I would knock them out. So later the lady and I were walking down the hall and the unit clerk goes, ' Where is her sign"? I said, "she took it off,"(even though i am the one who took it off) so then the clerk goes and gets the sign and sticks it back on her back and I was like, " come on, don't put a sign on her back, ' and she gets all nasty and goes, " well everyone else does it, " I said, " well if she is supervised like she is supposed to be and has hospital ID like she is supposed to, then she shouldn't need a sign, " Not to mention the fact that it is altogether tacky and mean. I find it the equivalent of putting a KICK ME sign on someone's back. So then the clerk grabbed the paper and ripped it up in little pieces and and stomped away like a 2 year old. The sad thing is that she just started nursing school. What does everyone else think of this? Am I overreacting?

No Flo, see, I am just showing my frustrations because there really is nothing you can do about this behavior, except terminate the employee, which I by the way am for. Honestly, I would favor the charge nurse to give a butt stroke with an IV pole, or at least a tackling hip-check. But in America, you can't do that. Right? So all you can do is report it (moan), and ignore it until someone does something. I'm not speaking in favor of the unit clerk, and i don't know what i said that could have made you think that :-(

Unprofessional behavior, definately not to be tolerated. Definately needs to be written warning, and additional education on emotional abuse. I'd write/email appropriate supervisor documenting actions along with the 'sign'. Also, I'd keep a copy of sign and documentation to CYA.

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

caliotter3--well, the family has an excellent point. Personal clothing DOES tend to disappear in many LTC facilities, along with many other personal items.

And if that LTC facility doesn't want to get "dinged," all it has to do is type up a form for the family to sign, saying they advised the family of this "rule" and that the family chooses to disregard it. Then show the signed form at the next survey.

Completely unforgivable...although they do have a point about her immaturity and learning from others.

However, with the nursing shortage as such, we need to be prepared for those who are not as caring and are nurses for the "big bucks". :confused: (what big bucks?)

I would definitely have a talk with her and if it happens again, report her. My grandma has Alzheimer's and if someone did that to her, I would definitely have to kick her butt....:(

Kristy

Molly J...my interaction with her caused her to throw a temper tantrum. Like I said she actually stomped her feet. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that point. When she said "everyone else is doing it" ...she meant the nurses, which is pathetic. For all I know the sign was back on her after I left. The woman had no family so I guess they thought it was OK to treat her like dirt since no one complained about it. That is...till Flo came along and ruined their fun.

I am just hoping that now that this chick has started school. she will grow up a little and develop a mind of her own. Since she has started she only works weekends and they make her float so she can't get away with that crap on other floors. She is not happy about changing floors, either. Probably because she can't go and put signs on people anymore. She previously worked on the oncology floor where the charge nurse let her do whatever she wanted. I remember one time, a young man lost his battle with cancer and this twit said to every single employee who walked in that morning, " 3$@%7 is dead. She used his first name, as though she knew him. I don't know.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

I would have to report that. And not be so nice about it.

Specializes in peds, office nurse and long term care fa.

How sad that she has to do something like that to a patient! She really needed to be told about her actions. She wanted to bury everyone else right along with her (well, everyone else does it).

That's not a good enough answer. She needs to grow up and get her kicks somewhere else.

I remember being young and dumb, don't you? This clerk isn't mean , just young,clueless, anxious and trying to prove that she's at least paying attention. If she wants to be a nurse and has some good qualities, she could use the guidance of her role models. Someone set her straight, please, in private, in a non-threatening manner, and we'll have a more worthy colleague some day.

As long as the clerk is willing to tape a sign like "dysfunctional theraputic technique......................stay back 500 feet"

To treat another human being in such an inhuman manner is absolutely inexcusable.

At 19 years of age, I was in charge of a 40 bed unit at night and NEVER did it occur to me to treat anyone with that kind of disrespect. There is no excuse for the behavior. Age 5 maybe.....

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